Dodge County

General

Population: 37,103
Land area (sq. mi.): 529.07
Population per square mile: 70.3

Race

White: 81.0%
African American: 1.5%
American Indian: 1.9%
Asian: 0.7%
Hispanic: 15.6%
Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander: 0.4%

Age

0-17: 24.6%
18-64: 56.4%
65+: 19.0%

Socioeconomics

Personal income per capita: $56,298
% of Population in Poverty: 9.7%
# of Housing Units: 16,598
Owner-occupied rate: 62.2%
Median home price: $161,940

Technology

Access to broadband (100 Mbps via fiber or cable modem): 88.2%

Sources: National Association of Realtors, Nebraska Library Commission, U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, U.S. Census Bureau

Employment, Schools, and Child Care

Unemployment rate: 1.8% (as of September 2022)

County Employment Website: https://nebraskacounties.org/nebraska-counties/county-employment-opportunities.html

High school graduate or higher: 89.0%

Bachelor's degree or higher: 19.7%

School Districts: Fremont Public Schools, Howells-Dodge Consolidated Schools, Logan View Public Schools, Scribner-Snyder Community Schools, West Point Public Schools

Countywide child care capacity: 45 providers; 2,501 children

Find child care: For a list of child care providers in your zip code, visit Nebraska DHHS or the Nebraska Resource and Referral System.

Dodge County Economy

Annual Gross Domestic Product (2020): $2,224,336,000

Ag. Producers (Cattle): 156

Ag. Producers (Crop): 275

Grain Co-ops and Purchasers: Cooperative Supply, Central Valley Ag, Frontier

Local Grain Market: Click for today's grain prices in Dodge County

Electricity Providers: Burt County PPD, City of Fremont, City of Scribner, City of Snyder, Cuming County PPD, Omaha PPD

Rail-served Communities: Ames, Fremont, Inglewood, Nickerson, North Bend, Uehling, Winslow

Sources: National Agricultural Statistics Service (USDA), Nebraska Cooperative Council, Nebraska Coordinating Commission for Postsecondary Education, Nebraska Department of Transportation, Nebraska Office of the CIO, Nebraska Power Review Board, U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Census Bureau

2022 Levies and Valuation

County levy rate: $0.2248 per $100 of taxable valuation

County property taxes levied: $11,363,832

Total local government property taxes levied: $81,095,862

Total countywide taxable valuation: $5,054,376,372

Click here for all levy rates in Dodge County

County Levy and Taxation Laws

Levy limits

Since 1996, counties and other political subdivisions have been subject to the levy limits listed in Neb. Rev. Stat. § 77-3442 and Neb. Rev. Stat. § 77-3443.

Statutes and regulations:

Nebraska Revised Statutes (Chapter 77)

Nebraska Administrative Code (Title 350)

Local tax reductions, exemptions, and credits:

Neb. Rev. Stat. § 76-902(5)(a) (Deed "stamp tax" exemption): "The [stamp tax] shall not apply to: ... (5)(a) Deeds between spouses, between ex-spouses for the purpose of conveying any rights to property acquired or held during the marriage, or between parent and child, without actual consideration therefor."

Neb. Rev. Stat. § 77-201(2) (Valuation of agricultural land and horticultural land): "Agricultural land and horticultural land as defined in section 77-1359 shall constitute a separate and distinct class of property for purposes of property taxation, shall be subject to taxation, unless expressly exempt from taxation, and shall be valued at seventy-five percent of its actual value, except that for school district taxes levied to pay the principal and interest on bonds that are approved by a vote of the people on or after January 1, 2022, such land shall be valued at fifty percent of its actual value."

Neb. Rev. Stat. § 77-6703(1) (Tax credit for school district taxes paid): "(1) For taxable years beginning or deemed to begin on or after January 1, 2020, under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, there shall be allowed to each eligible taxpayer a refundable credit against the income tax imposed by the Nebraska Revenue Act of 1967 or against the franchise tax imposed by sections 77-3801 to 77-3807. The credit shall be equal to the credit percentage for the taxable year, as set by the department under subsection (2) of this section, multiplied by the amount of school district taxes paid by the eligible taxpayer during such taxable year."

Sources: Nebraska Department of Revenue

State Senator: Lynne Walz (District 15)
Committees: Education, Health and Human Services, Education Commission of the States, Midwestern Higher Education Compact Commission

Map and statistics for Legislative District 15

Map of all districts in the Nebraska Unicameral Legislature

Dodge County History

Number of Registered Historic Places: 22

Year Founded: 1855

Etymology: Augustus Dodge (U.S. Senator)

Dodge County was organized and it boundaries defined by an act of the First Territorial Legislature in March 1855. These boundaries would be redefined again in November 1858 and December 1859, and county would be reorganized for the final time in January 1860. It is named in honor of Augustus Caesar Dodge, a United States senator from Iowa who was a supporter of the Kansas-Nebraska Act.

With Dodge County being bordered on the east by the Elkhorn River and on the south by the Platte River, trappers and hunters made up the earliest inhabitants. The earliest settlements were recorded in 1856 along the Platte River in locations that would eventually become the cities of Fremont and North Bend. Because the Mormon Trail, which paralleled the Platte River, and the Old Military Road, which connected Omaha with Fort Kearny, passed through the area, freighting became an important part of the county's development. Since settlers grew only enough crops for their own use, it would be a number of years before agriculture would become a prominent part of the area.

In 1860, three towns vied to become the county seat. Fremont received 62 votes, Robinsonville received two votes and Blacksmith's Point received one vote. The latter two would cease to exist shortly thereafter. For seven years after Fremont had been chosen to serve as the county seat, county offices and records were maintained in the homes of different officers and in leased apartments. Although the question of building a courthouse had been discussed many times, a consensus could not be reached. A wealthy Fremont landowner donated a city block for the purpose of being used for a courthouse. Original plans drawn for a wooden structure were eventually abandoned in favor of a brick building. Finally, in late 1867, the building was completed.

The brick structure was remodeled and repaired three times before a second courthouse opened in October 1890. A 1915 fire destroyed that structure and three years later the present courthouse was dedicated.

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License Plate Number: 5

Time Zone: Central

Zoned County: Yes

Number of Veterans: 2,574

Voter Turnout (2022): 53.41%

Emergency Mgt. Planning, Exercise and Training (PET) Region: East Central

Number of County-Owned Bridges: 258

Number of County-Owned Dams: 1

State Lands (acres): Dead Timber SRA (200.25), Fremont Lakes SRA (667.41), Powder Horn WMA (284.99)

Sources: Nebraska Department of Transportation, Nebraska Emergency Management Agency, Nebraska Game & Parks Commission, Nebraska Legislature, Nebraska Office of the CIO, Nebraska Secretary of State, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, U.S. National Archives and Records Administration (eCFR)